Travelex survey unveils unexpected foodie hot spots for Brits

A recent report from Travelex reveals that food is impacting our wallets more than ever with the average person spending £250 on food alone when on a seven-day trip away.

The findings reveal that half (51%) of food-obsessed Brits research restaurant hotspots before even stepping on the plane, with people increasingly looking to live like locals as two-thirds (63%) hope to find a hidden food gem whilst away.

Social media was scoured by Travelex to find the most talked about food in different locations around the world. It found that people heading to Toronto crave sushi whereas curry has caused a stir for tourists heading to New York City and London has people going crazy for ice-cream, with more than ten times more social media mentions for the dessert than Rome.

Sharing images of food online is also now a crucial part of a 'Gastronomy Getaway', with more than a third (36%) admitting they post pics of their holiday chow and 56% choosing to experiment with new food when away from the UK.

Brits are also willing to put their money where their mouth is with 77% prepared to spend more on food on holiday than they would when in the UK, and a third of people’s holiday budget going on food alone.

The company's head of retail, Elvin Eldić, said: “The fact that people are willing to spend a huge 34% of their entire holiday budget on food alone – averaging £250 per person for a seven-day trip – shows how important great food is for Brits abroad. For those heading on a European food getaway now is a particularly good time to travel, with sterling up 14% versus this time last year – meaning an additional €84 for £500 exchanged, or the cost of a meal for two.”